Liquid crystalline composites containing phyllosilicates

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides phyllosilicate-polymer compositions which are useful as liquid crystalline composites. Phyllosilicate-polymer liquid crystalline compositions of the present invention can contain a high percentage of phyllosilicate while at the same time be transparent. Because of the ordering of the particles liquid crystalline composite, liquid crystalline composites are particularly useful as barriers to gas transport.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0001] The United States Government has rights in this inventionpursuant to Contract No. W-31-109-ENG-38 between the United StatesDepartment of Energy and the University of Chicago representing ArgonneNational Laboratory.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates to liquid crystalline compositionscomprised of phyllosilicates and polymers. More particularly, thisinvention relates to liquid crystalline compositions for use in barrierapplications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] It is common practice to blend materials such as mica, talc,kaolin, precipitated calcium carbonate, precipitated silica, fumedsilica, barite, zinc oxide, carbon black, etc. into elastomeric,thermoset, and thermoplastic polymers. Inorganic fillers are added ashigh as 40 to 50 weight percent. The addition of minerals to polymerscan improve properties such as strength, stiffness, temperature andimpact resistance, dimensional stability, and scratch resistance. Inconventional mineral/polymer composite materials, the mineral phases aredispersed within the polymer matrix at the micrometer scale.

[0004] Much interest has been created by the more recent advance ofproducing nanocomposites. Nanocomposites—nanometer sized dispersions oforganophilic clays in polymers to form polymeric hybrids—have beendemonstrated to produce dramatic improvements in mechanical properties,heat resistance, thermal stability, and reduced gas permeability of thebase polymer without loss of impact strength. Due to their enhancedbarrier properties and clarity, nanocomposites are well suited for useas gas transport barriers in packaging applications. Examples includenylon-based nanocomposites for food and beverage packaging whichincorporate the nanocomposite layer within single or multi-layer films.Reduction in gas diffusion is attributed to the presence of the clayparticles which act to increase diffusion path length. Currentnanocomposites characteristically contain small amounts ofphyllosilicates dispersed in the base polymer, typically six percent orless, producing overall improvements in reduction of gas transfer thatcan be calculated from simple diffusion theory and which depend on thegeneration of a tortuous diffusion path originating from the presence ofthe dispersed organoclay. A major impediment to the commercialdevelopment of nanocomposites has been the difficulty of producinghomogenous dispersions of organoclays within the polymer matrix. Toimprove the affinity between the hydrophilic clay surface and organicpolymers, clays are treated by cation exchange withhigh-molecular-weight onium salts (e.g., ammonium, phosphonium, andsulfonium). However, even with surface treatment, phyllosilicates canstill only be dispersed at the nanoscale into polymers that containpolar functional groups. The presence of these polar functional groupsmakes high barrier polymers, such as PET, EVOH, and Nylon, sensitive towater, thus requiring their use as multiplayer laminates which containan external, water-barrier layer. The requirement of multiplayerlaminates thus increases manufacturing costs of flexible packagingfilms.

[0005] Accordingly, there is a continuing need to provide low costmaterials which provide superior barriers against gas transport anddiffusion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention provides aphyllosilicate-polymer composition comprised of a phyllosilicate and apolymer layer adsorbed onto the basal surface of the phyllosilicateproviding a phyllosilicate-polymer composition. In thephyllosilicate-polymer composition the phyllosilicate-polymercomposition is present as a single phyllosilicate-polymer phase andexhibits an anomalous basal spacing. Preferably a sufficient proportionof exchange sites on the basal surface of the phyllosilicate aresubstantially occupied by protons. In other embodiments of the inventionthe polymer has at least one hydroxyl group and can be selected from thegroup consisting of polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol and theirmonoalkyl ether derivatives. Still other embodiments of the inventionprovide phyllosilicate-polymer compositions wherein the polymercomprises greater than 27 weight percent of the phyllosilicate-polymercomposition, the basal surface of the phyllosilicate is boundsubstantially with hydrogen ions or the basal spacing of thephyllosilicate-polymer composition increases as the molecular weight ofthe polymer increases. In yet another embodiment, the basal spacing ofthe phyllosilicate-polymer composition is equal to or greater than 17.8Å.

[0007] Still another embodiment of the present invention provides ananisotropic liquid crystalline composite comprising aphyllosilicate-polymer composite made of at least a phyllosilicate, anda polymer adsorbed onto the basal surface of the phyllosilicate. In thisembodiment the phyllosilicate-polymer composite has a highly ordered,well-defined basal spacing and the phyllosilicate-polymer composition isbirefringent. Other aspects of this embodiment of the invention includea nematically oriented phyllosilicate in the phyllosilicate-polymercomposition. In this embodiment, the phyllosilicate can make up greaterthan 10 percent of the phyllosilicate-polymer composite. Typically, thephyllosilicate is selected from the group consisting of kaolins, talcsand montmorillonites and the polymer is water soluble. In anotherembodiment the polymer can be hydrophobic, such as polyethylene. Theanisotropic liquid crystalline composite of this embodiment can furthercomprise an antioxidant. In still another embodiment of the inventionthe anisotropic liquid crystalline comprises a barrier layer such thatthe barrier layer provides a gas permeability below the gas permeabilityof the polymer alone.

[0008] The present invention also provides methods for producing ananisotropic liquid crystalline composite from a phyllosilicate and apolymer. The method can include the steps of suspending a phyllosilicatein a compatible solvent, dissolving a polymer that is soluble in thecompatible solvent, and removing a sufficient amount of the compatiblesolvent to produce an anisotropic liquid crystalline composite. In themethod the solvent can be water and the polymer polyethylene glycol. Themethod can further include the step of purifying the phyllosilicateprior to suspending the phyllosilicate in the compatible solvent. Themethod can provide an anisotropic liquid crystalline compositioncomprising between about 10 and 70 percent phyllosilicate. The methodalso provides composites which are extrudable and useful as gas barrierlayers.

[0009] In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a barrierfilm for use in packaging and coating applications is provided havingreduced gas permeability. The barrier film comprises an anisotropicliquid crystalline composite layer having a gas permeability below thepermeability of the polymer alone. Typically the film is transparent andis comprised of a phyllosilicate and a polymer or a combination ofpolymers. The phyllosilicate can make up greater than ten percent byweight of the liquid crystalline composite layer. The barrier film ofthe present invention can also be incorporated into other films as abarrier layer to form a multilayer film. As a non-limiting example, theliquid crystal composite can be blended with polyethylene to impartwater barrier properties and improve extrusion properties.

[0010] The above described embodiments are set forth in more detail inthe following description and illustrated in the drawings describedhereinbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention willhereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings,wherein like numerals denote like elements and:

[0012]FIG. 1. Basal spacing as a function of polymer loading in liquidcrystal composites containing polyethylene glycol.

[0013]FIG. 2. X-ray diffraction pattern of sodium exchanged saponiteadmixed with polyethylene glycol at a ratio of 1 g polymer per 1 g ofclay.

[0014]FIG. 3. X-ray diffraction pattern of a liquid crystallinecomposite containing 50 weight percent polyethylene glycol.

[0015]FIG. 4. A differential scanning calorimetry plot of a liquidcrystalline composite containing 27 weight percent polyethylene glycoland a basal spacing of 17.3 Å.

[0016]FIG. 5. A differential scanning calorimetry plot of a liquidcrystalline composite containing 50 weight percent polyethylene glycoland showing a melt transition at approximately 50° C. and a freezingtransition at approximately 15° C.

[0017]FIG. 6. X-ray diffraction pattern of a liquid crystallinecomposite containing 50 weight percent LAPONITE® clay and 50 weightpercent polyethylene-block-polyethylene glycol.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] The present invention provides liquid crystal compositescomprised of phyllosilicate-polymer compositions and methods of makingthe liquid crystal composites. Liquid crystal composites of the presentinvention can contain minimal amounts of on the order of one percent orless by weight, up to about 70% phyllosilicate by weight. The techniqueutilized in the present invention involves intercalating a polymerwithin the galleries of a phyllosilicate which is preferably a purifiedclay material. Examples of suitable clay minerals include: kaolins,talcs, saponites and montmorillonites as non-limiting examples.Intercalation of the polymer within the phyllosilicate can occuraccording to several methods. As will be well understood by one skilledin the art, phyllosilicates inherently have basal surfaces and arearranged in layers of phyllosilicate particles which are stacked on topof one another. The stacking of the phyllosilicates provides interlayersor galleries between the phyllosilicate layers. These galleries arenormally occupied by cations, typically comprising sodium, potassium,lithium, calcium, magnesium ions and combinations thereof, that balancethe charge deficiency generated by the isomorphous substitution withinthe phyllosilicate layers. Typically, water is also present in thegalleries and tends to associate with the cations. The distance betweenthe basal surfaces of adjacent phyllosilicate layers is referred to asthe basal spacing.

[0019] A preferred method involves dispersing the phyllosilicate in acompatible solvent, dispersing or dissolving the polymer in thecompatible solvent and then removing enough of the solvent to produce aliquid crystalline composite of phyllosilicate and polymer. Compatiblesolvents as used in the present invention mean solvents, either neat orin admixtures, in which the phyllosilicate and polymer is capable ofbeing dispersed or suspended and preferably solvents in which thepolymer is soluble. The preferred solvent according to the presentinvention is water, although other solvents in which phyllosilicates andpolymers can be dispersed are suitable for use in the present invention.Accordingly, preferred polymers can be water soluble or not soluble inwater. Preferred polymers also have at least one hydroxyl group. Afterthe solvent is removed, the phyllosilicate-polymer mixtures produce aself-assembled liquid crystal structure. Typically, the phyllosilicateis nematically ordered within the liquid crystalline composite.Surprisingly and unexpectedly, liquid crystalline composites provideexcellent resistance to gas transport. With proper modification, theliquid crystalline compositions of the present invention can be made tobe extrudable, their water sensitivity can be adjusted, and byincorporating the proper functionality, can be made to function as botha barrier layer and as an adhesive material for multilayer laminates andfilms.

[0020] Without limiting the scope of the invention, it has beensurprisingly found that polymer intercalation to levels sufficient toincrease the gallery spacing to at least 19 Å produces composites thatare extrudable. Water sensitivity of the liquid crystalline compositecan be reduced by co-adsorption of ethylene-co-acrylic acid polymers.Ethylene-co-acrylic acid polymers with at least 15-20% acrylic acidcontent are water soluble and under low pH conditions bond directly tothe phyllosilicate surface. A high degree of water resistance can beachieved by inhibiting the neutralization of the acid functionality toless than about 3%.

[0021] Another method for intercalating a polymer within the galleriesof the phyllosilicate involves mixing the phyllosilicate and the polymertogether and then heating the phyllosilicate-polymer mixture to atemperature above the melting temperature of the polymer. According tothis method the polymer intercalates into the galleries of thephyllosilicate thus producing a liquid crystalline composite.

[0022] The liquid crystalline composite formed by the intercalation ofthe phyllosilicate with the polymer can itself be intercalated with asecond polymer, such as polyethylene or modified polyethylene, to form aliquid crystalline composite comprising more than one polymerintercalated within the galleries of the phyllosilicate. Alternatively,two or more polymers can be mixed with the phyllosilicate in the initialstep of forming the liquid crystalline composite and then heated to atemperature above the melting temperature of the polymer. Utilizingadditional polymers in the liquid crystalline composite can impartdesirable properties to the liquid crystalline composite including waterresistance, extrudability and adhesive properties.

[0023] The present phyllosilicate-polymer liquid crystal composites canbe used as ultra-high-barrier films for packaging and coatingsapplications in the form of either extrudable liquid crystallinecomposites or as cast, thin-film liquid crystalline composite applied toa substrate, preferably a polymeric substrate (e.g. PET). Liquidcrystalline composites, preferably exhibiting a nematic structure andcontaining high concentrations of clays, offer greater resistance to gasdiffusion due to very high concentrations of overlapping, impermeableclay platelets. The clay concentrations within the liquid crystallinecomposite are in one embodiment in the range of 10 to 70 weight percent,and in other embodiments 10 to 30, 30 to 50 or 50 to 70 weight percentdepending upon the application in which the liquid crystalline compositeis used. The barrier layers of the present invention provide resistanceto gas permeability which is greater than the gas resistance of the basepolymer alone. Preferably, the barrier layers of the present inventionprovide gas resistance which is 1.5 times or more than the base polymer.More preferably, the barrier layers provide resistance to gas diffusionranging from about ten times greater and up than the base polymer. Mostpreferably, the barrier layers provide gas resistance that is from about1,000 to about 1,000,000 times greater when compared to barrier layersmade of the base polymer without the phyllosilicate.

[0024] A particularly interesting class of liquid crystalline compositescan be prepared from purified smectites onto which low-molecular-weightpolyethylene glycols are adsorbed at concentrations in excess of 27weight percent, although the present invention is not limited to suchcompositions. These liquid crystalline composites are synthesized byadding water-soluble polymers to an aqueous suspension of aphyllosilicate. Removal of the water to less than about 2 weight percentmoisture produces self-assembled nematic liquid crystalline composites.Surprisingly and unexpectedly, a liquid crystalline composite containinggreater than 27 weight percent polymer, and in particular polyethyleneglycol, can be produced which exhibits a single phyllosilicate-polymerphase and is a liquid crystalline composite. This is in contrast topublished studies in which polymer loading in excess of 27 weightpercent produced two phases—a simple admixture of apolymer-phyllosilicate phase and a crystalline polymer phase. Asdescribed below, the single-phase liquid crystalline composites of thepresent invention containing about 30 to 70 weight percent polymerexhibit unique properties which make them prime candidates for themanufacture of cast and extruded films. Liquid crystalline compositesfor use in the production of cast and extruded films include thosecomposites which contain 30 to 40 weight percent polymer, 40 to 50weight percent polymer, 50 to 60 weight percent polymer and 60 to 70weight percent polymer. Because of their ordered structure, these liquidcrystalline composite materials are expected to exhibit excellentresistance to the transport of gases, and in particular oxygen andcarbon dioxide, making them good candidates for barrier and packagingapplications. In order to mitigate their sensitivity to water vapor, theliquid crystalline composites would be preferably be incorporated as athin, barrier layer within multi-layer films. These multi-layer filmscan be produced by attaching a cast film to other polymeric layers orthrough coextrusion. In an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention, hydrophobic polymers, such as polyolefins, can beintercalated into the liquid crystal composite to produce a compositewhich is water resistant. The polyolefin is preferably used incombination with water-soluble polymers and/or coupling agents such asPEG-based surfactants. Preferred hydrophobic polymers includepolyolefins, and in particular polyethylene and modified polyethylene.Intercalating a hydrophobic polymer into the galleries of thephyllosilicate can produce a liquid crystalline composite which ishydrophobic and extrudable.

[0025] Without limiting the scope of the present invention, it isbelieved that a single phyllosilicate-polymer phase can be achieved byloading greater than 27 weight percent polyethylene glycol onto a basalsurface of the phyllosilicate through adsorbtion the polymer as anoxonium cation. However, the phyllosilicate-polymer compositions of thepresent invention do not depend upon the proposition that the polymer isadsorbed onto the phyllosilicate as an oxonium ion.

[0026] The attachment of polyethylene glycol according to the presentinvention, theorized to be through oxonium ion exchange, offers a uniquemethod of achieving higher than normal polyethylene glycol loading. Acomparison of x-ray diffraction patterns in FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate thedifference between polymer adsorption via ion dipole interaction and theproposed oxonium cation exchange. FIG. 2 shows the x-ray diffractionpattern of a sodium-exchanged saponite admixed with 50 weight percentpolyethylene glycol. It displays the expected d(001) spacing of 17.8 Å.However, the diffraction pattern also shows diffraction peaks at 4.63and 3.83 Å which correspond to a crystalline polyethylene glycol phase.In other words, the admixture is comprised of two discrete phases—aclay/polymer intercalate containing 27 weight percent polymer and aseparate crystalline polymer phase not associated with the clay. Thex-ray diffraction pattern of the oxonium-exchanged clay containing 50weight percent polyethylene glycol is shown in FIG. 3. Aside from basalreflections, it does not show diffraction peaks for a crystallinepolymer phase. This indicates the existence of only one phase—aclay/polymer intercalate containing 50 weight percent polyethyleneglycol.

[0027] Published x-ray data indicate that a complete monolayer ofpolyethylene glycol expands the basal spacing of sodium exchangedsmectite clays from 9.5 Å to 17.8 Å. This 8.3 Å increase corresponds tothe formation of a double layer structure residing between adjacent clayplatelets and thereby indicating a monolayer depth of approximately 4 Å.The 4.0 Å spacing is in agreement with the width of a hydrocarbon chain.Therefore, the intercalates with greater than 17.8 Å spacing containpolyethylene glycol in excess of a monolayer. Without limiting the scopeof the invention, the unusually high adsorption density is believed tobe driven by solvation of the adsorbed hydrogen ion by polyethyleneglycol via formation of oxonium cations at the clay surface. An ionexchange mechanism would produce basal spacings that are dependent uponthe molecular weight of the polymer in agreement with experimental data.

[0028] Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements of liquidcrystalline composites containing 27, 34, and 50 weight percentpolyethylene glycol were conducted to gain further insight into thephysicochemical properties of the liquid crystalline composites. FIG. 4shows the DSC scan for the liquid crystalline composite exhibiting ad(001) spacing of 17.3 Å and produced by oxonium exchange. A meltingtransition at 43 to 45° C. for the polyethylene glycol (molecular weightof 1500) is notably absent, indicating that the adsorbed polymer isdistinctly different from a discrete bulk phase. The scan does, however,show a decomposition endotherm at approximately 215° C. For reference,the decomposition temperature for polyethylene oxide/clay intercalatesin an inert atmosphere is approximately 360° C. Without limiting thescope of the invention, the lower decomposition temperature for theliquid crystalline composite is believed to be due to the enhancedmolecular motion of the polymer chains that occurs upon melting of thetwo-dimensional crystal phase located within the clay galleries. Thisclay, when sodium exchanged and containing 27 weight percentpolyethylene glycol, showed the expected decomposition temperature of360° C.

[0029] The DSC data for the liquid crystalline composites containing 32and 50 weight percent polymer were identical and displayed areproducible melting transition at approximately 50° C. (the DSC profilefor the liquid crystalline composite containing 50 weight percentpolymer loading is shown in FIG. 5). These data indicate that thepolymer in excess of a monolayer behaves like a discrete,two-dimensional crystalline polymer phase (i.e., displays a meltingtransition) but the x-ray data indicate that all of the polymer isattached to the basal surface of the clay and therefore does not displaya 3-dimensional x-ray diffraction pattern. Note that the observed melttransition of 50° C. is approximately 5-7° C. higher than that of purepolyethylene glycol with identical molecular weight (e.g., 1500). Thisincrease in melt transition has been observed with other polymer systemsin confined geometries. Accordingly, the polymer chain segments whichundergo a melting transition could produce a lubricating zone therebyenabling the clay platelets to slide past one another under pressure.This would permit extrusion of liquid crystalline composites attemperatures above the melting point (i.e., 50° C.) but below thedecomposition point. The decomposition temperature can be increased byextruding in an inert atmosphere and/or by adding an antioxidant to theliquid crystalline composite. Typical antioxidants used to preventpolymer degradation are phenols (e.g, 2,4-Di-t-butyl-4-methylphenol) andaromatic amines (e.g., N,N′-Bis(1-methylheptyl)-p-phenylenediamine).

[0030] The film extrusion temperatures of typical packaging polymerssuch as polyolefins (e.g., polyethylene and polypropylene) andpolyethylene terephthalate (PET) are 190° and 280° C., respectively.With the addition of an antioxidant to the liquid crystalline compositeit should be possible to co-extrude laminates with polyolefins and PET.

[0031] Alternatively, with incorporation of polyethylene glycol basedsurfactants (e.g., polyethylene-block-polyethylene glycol orpolypropylene-block-polyethylene glycol), it is possible to produceextrudable liquid crystalline composites with reduced water sensitivity.Because of their superior characteristics, these materials could be usedin single-film barrier applications. The liquid crystalline compositesof the present invention are also dispersible in polyolefins making itpossible to produce conventional nanocomposites with clay contents of3-10 weight percent.

[0032] Another unexpected feature of the liquid crystalline compositesof the present invention is that these phyllosilicate-polymercomposites, which have relatively high, typically greater than tenweight percent, phyllosilicate content are transparent. Thus, the liquidcrystalline composites of the present invention (provided the resinitself is transparent) are highly desirable in packaging applications.Until now, it has not been possible to produce transparent liquidcrystalline composites containing clay minerals at concentrations of tenweight percent or more, especially with extrusion processes.

[0033] All references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference.

[0034] Non-limiting examples which further illustrate the properties ofthe clay-based liquid crystalline composites are provided below.

EXAMPLES Example 1

[0035] This example demonstrates that polyethylene glycol polymer can beloaded at greater than 27 weight percent and still exhibit a singlephyllosilicate-polymer phase. Using a Ca-saponite, twenty-seven percentby weight (i.e., 0.27 g of polyethylene glycol per g of clay) wasadsorbed onto the basal surface of the saponite by suspending thesaponite particles in water, dissolving the PEG in the water andsubstantially removing the water to form the phyllosilicate-polymercomposition. This clay-PEG composition showed an anomalous basal spacing[d(001)], exhibiting a d(001) spacing of 13.6 Å instead of the expected17.8 Å. As used in the present invention, the phrase “anomalous basalspacing” is used to mean a basal spacing which substantially differsfrom the basal spacing exhibited by a Wyoming montmorillonite coatedwith a monolayer, 27 to 30 weight percent, of polyethylene oxide. Thepolymer loading was verified by Loss on Ignition measurements. The factthat the dried organoclay did not readily disperse in water suggeststhat the polymer coating was actually less than a monolayer despite the27 weight percent loading. Sodium exchange improved the colloidalstability of the clay and increased the d(001) spacing to near theexpected 17.8 Å. Based on these results it is believed that the presenceof hydrogen ions in the exchange sites of the clay caused some of thepolyethylene glycol to adsorb onto the clay surface as an oxonium cationrather than through normal ion-dipole interactions between the polymerand the exchangeable cations at the clay surface. This hypothesis issupported by observations that oxonium cation formation by polyethyleneglycols has been reported in the solvent extraction literature (J. Rais,E. Sebestova, and M. Kyrs, “Synergistic Effect of Polyethylene Glycolsin Extraction of Alkaline Earth Cations by Nitrobenzene,” J. Inorg.Nucl. Chem., 38, (1976) pp. 1742-1744). This mechanism of adsorptionalso offers a plausible explanation for the anomalous d(001) spacing.Without limiting the scope of the invention, it is believed the oxoniumcation is produced by protonation of the terminal hydroxyl groups of thepolyethylene glycol which are stabilized by formation of a five memberring through hydrogen bonding to the terminal ether oxygen. Loss ofhydrated metal ions in the exchange positions on the clay surface wouldexplain the anomalous basal spacing since the volume that wouldotherwise be occupied by the metal cations now becomes unoccupied.

Example 2

[0036] To test the hypothesis of oxonium cation adsorption, a differentsaponite was purified using the pseudophasic extraction processdescribed in U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 09/532,728 filed on Mar.22, 2000, incorporated herein by reference. The purified clay was thentreated with a cation-exchange resin in the H⁺ form to replace the Na⁺and Ca⁺⁺ on the clay surface with H⁺. Varying amounts of polyethyleneglycol were then added to aliquots of the clay slurry as describedabove. The samples were dried overnight at 100° C. producingtranslucent, birefringent liquid crystalline composite films. The x-raydiffraction patterns were measured to determine the d(001) spacing as afunction of polymer loading. The data in FIG. 1 show a plateau in d(001)values at about 19.2 Å and correspond to a polymer loading of about 50weight percent. This is in contrast to literature data showing a maximumd(001) spacing of 17.8 Å at 27 weight percent polyethylene glycolloading. The 17.8 Å spacing at a polymer loading of 27 to 30 weightpercent has been reported in the literature to be independent of polymermolecular weight for all smectites that have been studied. In contrast,oxonium ion exchange produces a basal spacing that increases withincreasing polymer molecular weight. These results clearly indicate theimportance of hydrogen ion concentration in the clay exchange positionson polymer adsorption behavior. Thus, phyllosilicates which have eithera naturally high hydrogen ion concentration in the exchange positions orwhich have been altered through cation exchange to provide a highhydrogen ion concentration are useful in the present invention.

Example 3

[0037] This example demonstrates the excellent oxygen barrier propertiesof a cast liquid crystalline composite film. A cast liquid crystallinecomposite film was prepared by drying an aqueous slurry containingapproximately 3 weight percent sodium montmorillonite having a monolayercoating of polyethylene glycol (molecular weight 1500) at the ratio 0.27g polymer per g of clay. The slurry was dried at room temperatureproducing a flexible film approximately 50 μm thick. Oxygen transportacross the film was measured at a relative humidity of zero percent.Oxygen permeability was below detection (i.e. 3×10⁻²⁰ mol/msPa).

[0038] The enhanced barrier performance is significantly greater thanthat expected if the clay platelets merely increased the tortuosityfactor and hence the total path length of diffusing oxygen. The reportedoxygen permeability for polyethylene oxide is 2×10⁻¹⁴ mol/msPa. Whilethe estimated tortuosity factor of the liquid crystalline composite is20-40 the oxygen permeability in the liquid crystalline composite isreduced by more than 650,000 fold over that of polyethylene oxide.

Example 4

[0039] This example illustrates the preparation of an extrudable liquidcrystalline composite by using a surfactant to plasticize thepolyethylene glycol/clay composite. A commercial hectorite (BentoneMass.) was purified using the pseudophasic extraction technique. Theaqueous slurry, containing approximately 3 weight percent organoclay,was treated with a cation exchange resin to convert the organoclay intothe H⁺ form. The treated slurry was combined withpolyethylene-block-polyethylene glycol and heated to 120° C. for 1-5 hto remove water. The final product contained approximately 5 weightpercent clay, 2 weight percent polyethylene glycol, and 93 weightpercent polyethylene-block-polyethylene glycol. The extremely largeamount of surfactant (polyethylene glycol/polyethylene copolymer) usedin this example illustrates the ability of the water-dispersedorganoclay to adsorb the polymeric surfactant to levels that are wellbeyond a monolayer coating and to maintain the clay platelet spacinggreater than 17.8 Å even after water removal. This is in contrast to thepolyethylene glycol (similar molecular weight to the polymericsurfactant) liquid crystalline composites of FIG. 1 which exhibit aplateau in the d(001) spacing of about 19 Å. X-ray analysis of theproduct showed an absence of basal reflection. The birefringent solidwas extrudable at 120° C., producing a clear, colorless film. Thebirefringence is evidence of a liquid crystal structure, however, thespacing between the clay platelets is beyond the resolution of thelaboratory defractometer (i.e., ⁻35 Å).

Example 5

[0040] This example illustrates the direct production of a liquidcrystal film from a highly concentrated aqueous suspension. A Wyomingmontmorillonite was purified according the pseudophasic extractionprocess as follows The clay feed was dispersed in hot tap water at 40°C. for 15 min., and the ammonium salt of the dispersant Dequest 2010 (aproduct of Solutia) was added to complete the dispersion of the ore. Theamount of dispersant added was 3 wt % relative to the weight of theclay. Poly(ethylene glycol) with a molecular weight of 1500 was added tothe aqueous dispersion at a concentration of 30 wt % relative to theweight of the clay. The amount of poly(ethylene glycol) added wassufficient to produce a monolayer coating on the basal surfaces of theexfoliated clay particles. After mixing for 30 min., the slurry waspassed through a decanting centrifuge to remove mineral impurities andunexfoliated clay. The surface of the hydrophilic clay composite wasfurther modified to reduce the surface HLB by adding a sufficient amountof the ammonium salt of an ethylene acrylic acid copolymer (Michem®Prime 4990R) to produce a final clay/polymer ratio of 60/40. Aftermixing for 30 min., an amount of poly(ethylene oxide) with a molecularweight of approximately 6,000,000 was dispersed in deionized water andadded to the slurry at a concentration sufficient to produce a finalconcentration of 1 wt % relative to the weight of the clay. The solidswere flocculated by reduction of the slurry pH to about 3 withconcentrated sulfuric acid. The excess water was decanted and theclay/polymer composite was washed with fresh tap water. When thematerial was rapidly dried in the form of a sheet with a hot air dryerit produced a flexible, transparent, and colorless liquid crystalcomposite that was hydrophobic and which could be folded and creasedwithout breaking. This is an example of polymer adsorption through anoxonium ion that was generated by an ion exchange process after thepolymer had already been adsorbed to a clay surface which was originallyin the sodium form.

Example 6

[0041] This example illustrates the preparation of an extrudable liquidcrystalline composite containing approximately 50 weight percent clay.The purified H-ion exchanged saponite slurry of Example 2 was combinedwith polyethylene-block-polyethylene glycol (melting point 106° C.) andheated to 120° C. in a sealed Teflon vessel for 1.5 h. The productslurry was then dried at 100° C. yielding an liquid crystallinecomposite composition of 50.9 weight percent clay, 18.3 weight percent,polyethylene glycol, 30.8 weight percent polyethylene-block-polyethyleneglycol. The liquid crystalline composite produced a clear, colorlessfilm when pressed at 120° C. and 10,000 psi.

Example 7

[0042] This example illustrates the preparation of a liquid crystalcomposite whose surface HLB value is modified by adsorption of apolymeric surfactant thereby making it extrudable when dispersed inhydrophobic polymeric systems such as poly(ethylene), poly(propylene)and various copolymers containing a polyolefin. A Wyomingmontmorillonite was purified using the pseudophasic extraction method.The clay was dispersed in hot tap water at 40° C. for 15 min., and theammonium salt of the dispersant Dequest® 2010 (a product of Solutia) wasadded to complete the dispersion of the montmorillonite. The amount ofdispersant added was 3 wt % relative to the weight of the clay.Poly(ethylene glycol) with a molecular weight of 1500 was added to theaqueous dispersion at a concentration of 30 wt % relative to the weightof the clay. The amount of poly(ethylene glycol) added was sufficient toproduce a monolayer coating on the basal surfaces of the exfoliated clayparticles. After mixing for 30 min., the slurry was passed through adecanting centrifuge to remove mineral impurities and unexfoliated clay.The surface of the hydrophilic clay composite was further modified toenable dispersion in hydrophobic systems by adding a sufficient amountof the ammonium salt of an ethylene acrylic acid copolymer (Michem®Prime 4990R) to produce a final clay/polymer ratio of 60/40. A dryproduct was obtained by spray drying the slurry to a final moisturecontent of less than 2 wt %. The solids content of the slurry fed to thespray dryer was approximately 9.5 wt %. The highly purified state of theclay was demonstrated by the fact that the material produced atransparent film when dried.

Example 8

[0043] This example illustrates the direct intercalation ofpolyethylene-block-polyethylene glycol (mw=1400) melt in a synthetichectorite (i.e., LAPONITE® clay). The LAPONITE® clay and surfactant wereblended at a 1:1 weight ratio, pressed into a pellet at 10,000 psi andheated to 125° C. for 1 h. This temperature is above the melting pointof the surfactant which is 106° C. Expansion of the clay layers due tointercalation of the surfactant caused the monolith to crumble. Thepowder was repressed at 10,000 psi and heated to 125° C. for 16 h. TheX-ray diffraction pattern shown in FIG. 6 exhibits a diffuse band ofd(001) spacings beginning at approximately 17 Å and extending beyond theresolution of the defractometer (i.e., ⁻38 Å). The X-ray diffractionpattern of the liquid crystalline composite of this example is shown inFIG. 6.

[0044] The intercalation of the organic coating in examples 7 and 8probably do not involve the proposed oxonium ion formation since theclay was in the sodium form. Accordingly, the present invention is notlimited to phyllosilicate-polymer compositions which exhibit anomalousbasal spacing. Intercalation of smectites with polymeric surfactantsprovides a direct route to the production of polyolefin-claynanocomposites without the use of amine-based surfactants. Unlike thequaternary amine-based surfactants, which readily decompose via Hofmannelimination at 125° C. or higher, the polyethylene glycol-basedsurfactants exhibit melting points well below their decompositionpoints. Under anoxic conditions, the decomposition of polyethyleneglycol, when intercalated within clay galleries, does not occur untilapproximately 360° C. In addition, the polyethylene glycol-basedsurfactants produce colorless intercalates and composites even at clayconcentrations as high as 50-70 weight percent as opposed to quaternaryamine-based materials which are generally yellow to brown due to aminedegradation.

[0045] As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and allpurposes, particularly in terms of providing a written description, allranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subrangesand combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easilyrecognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range beingbroken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths,tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein canbe readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third,etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all languagesuch as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” and the likeinclude the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequentlybroken down into subranges as discussed above.

[0046] While preferred embodiments have been illustrated and described,it should be understood that changes and modifications can be madetherein in accordance with ordinary skill in the art without departingfrom the invention in its broader aspects as defined in the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A phyllosilicate-polymer composition comprising:(a) a phyllosilicate; and (b) a polymer layer adsorbed onto the basalsurface of the phyllosilicate providing a phyllosilicate-polymercomposition, wherein the phyllosilicate-polymer composition is presentas a single phyllosilicate-polymer phase and the phyllosilicate-polymercomposition exhibits an anomalous basal spacing.
 2. Thephyllosilicate-polymer composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer has atleast one hydroxyl group.
 3. The phyllosilicate-polymer composition ofclaim 1 further comprising a second polymer layer adsorbed onto thebasal surface of the phyllosilicate.
 4. The phyllosilicate-polymercomposition of claim 2 wherein the polymer is selected from the groupconsisting of polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol and monoalkylether derivatives thereof.
 5. The phyllosilicate-polymer composition ofclaim 2 wherein the polymer comprises greater than 27 weight percent ofthe phyllosilicate-polymer composition.
 6. The phyllosilicate-polymercomposition of claim 2 wherein the exchange sites on the basal surfaceof the phyllosilicate is bound substantially with hydrogen ions.
 7. Thephyllosilicate-polymer composition of claim 2 wherein the basal spacingof the phyllosilicate-polymer composition increases as the molecularweight of the polymer increases.
 8. An anisotropic liquid crystallinecomposite, comprising: (a) a phyllosilicate-polymer composite,comprising; (1) a phyllosilicate; and (2) a polymer adsorbed onto thephyllosilicate, wherein the phyllosilicate-polymer composite isbirefringent.
 9. The anisotropic liquid crystalline composite of claim 8wherein the phyllosilicate is nematically oriented in thephyllosilicate-polymer composition.
 10. The anisotropic liquidcrystalline composite of claim 8 wherein the phyllosilicate comprisesmore than 10 percent of the phyllosilicate-polymer composite.
 11. Theanisotropic liquid crystalline composite of claim 8 wherein thephyllosilicate is selected from the group consisting of kaolins, talcsand montmorillonites.
 12. The anisotropic liquid crystalline compositeof claim 8 wherein the polymer is water soluble.
 13. The anisotropicliquid crystalline composite of claim 8 further comprising a materialselected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycol basedsurfactants and polypropylene glycol based surfactants.
 14. Theanisotropic liquid crystalline composite of claim 13 further comprisingan antioxidant.
 15. The anisotropic liquid crystalline composite ofclaim 13 wherein the liquid crystalline composite is extrudable.
 16. Theanisotropic liquid crystalline composite of claim 8 wherein thephyllosilicate-polymer composition comprises a barrier layer, thebarrier layer providing a gas permeability below a gas permeability ofthe polymer alone.
 17. A method for producing an anisotropic liquidcrystalline composite from a phyllosilicate and a polymer comprising:(a) suspending a phyllosilicate in a compatible solvent; (b) dissolvinga polymer that is soluble in the compatible solvent in the compatiblesolvent; and (c) removing a sufficient amount of the compatible solventto produce an anisotropic liquid crystalline composite.
 18. The methodof claim 17 wherein the compatible solvent is water.
 19. The method ofclaim 18 wherein the polymer is polyethylene glycol.
 20. The method ofclaim 18 wherein the anisotropic liquid crystalline composite comprisesless than about two percent water by weight.
 21. The method of claim 18further comprising purifying the phyllosilicate prior to suspending thephyllosilicate in the compatible solvent.
 22. The method of claim 18wherein the anisotropic liquid crystalline composition comprises betweenabout 30 and 70 percent phyllosilicate.
 23. The method of claim 18further comprising adding a polypropylene glycol or polyethylene glycolbased surfactant to the compatible solvent.
 24. The method of claim 23further comprising extruding the anisotropic liquid crystallinecomposite to produce a barrier layer of the anisotropic liquidcrystalline composite.
 25. A barrier film for use in packaging andcoating applications having reduced gas permeability comprising ananisotropic liquid crystalline composite layer having a gas permeabilitybelow the gas permeability of a polymer in the liquid crystallinecomposite.
 26. The barrier film of claim 25 wherein the film istransparent.
 27. The barrier film of claim 25 wherein the liquid crystalcomposite comprises a phyllosilicate and a polymer.
 28. The barrier filmof claim 27 wherein the phyllosilicate comprises greater than tenpercent by weight of the liquid crystalline composite layer.
 29. Thebarrier film of claim 28 wherein the phyllosilicate comprises betweenabout 30 and about 70 percent by weight of the liquid crystallinecomposite layer.
 30. The barrier film of claim 25 wherein the liquidcrystalline composite layer comprises an inner layer of a multilayerfilm.
 31. The barrier film of claim 25 wherein the liquid crystallinecomposite layer further comprises a polyethylene glycol basedsurfactant.